December 10, 2012

Pappardelle with Wild Boar Ragu

It won't be long before we head to Italy. I've started to crave the amazing food that I will order once I am there. One of the foods I have been craving is cinghaile or wild boar. Last weekend I got it in my head that I had to have some - never mind the fact that wild boar is not easy to find in this neck of the woods.

Reason be damned. I wanted that boar!

Happily I found some at the St. Lawrence market in Toronto and I was able to whip up a batch of ragu.

The flavor of boar may be likened to a cross between pork and lamb. Boar
meat is very lean and rich in protein. It has more protein than beef or
pork and is lower in cholesterol than chicken. Not bad for an animal
deemed an exotic pest in much of the world. Due to its mild gamey flavor and lack
of fat, boar meat benefits from marinades and slow cooking, and it’s
well matched with spirits and aromatic spices such as cloves and
juniper.

Italian ragu is neither dripping with sauce nor full of basil and garlic as many in North America expect due to our experiences with jars of Ragu sauce and trips to Olive Garden. The Garden may claim to have a Tuscan cooking institute where they develop recipes and train cooks but clearly no who is actually one from Tuscany (or anywhere else in Italy for that matter) is involved.

I've tried a few recipes for wild boar ragu over the years ad have decided that this one is my favourite. The meat is flavourful - benefiting from both the marinade and the long, slow cooking. I did modify it a bit - I used a chopped carrot in my sofritto, 1 teaspooon of juniper berries and 2 bay leaves as I cooked it slowly, and since I had no fresh tomatoes that I'd be wanting to eat given the time of the year I used the equivalent from a can.

Uncover ragù and gently simmer, stirring and breaking up meat into
bite-size pieces with a wooden spoon, until liquid is mostly evaporated,
15 to 20 minutes more. Remove from heat, adjust seasoning, if
necessary, and cover to keep warm.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add pasta and cook until
tender, about 3 minutes. Drain pasta and transfer to a large serving
bowl. Add ragù and toss to combine. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve
immediately.

We left the snow behind and headed to California for a long weekend of fun. We shoppedm toured wineries, tasted olive oil, met up with good friends, and ate some wonderful food. I can't wait for slow bowl 2009.